Rules of Thumb for Programmable Thermostats

In today’s modern age, most homes are now equipped with programmable thermostats. These convenient items allow you to pre-program your heating and cooling settings, preventing you from having to manually adjust things on a daily or even hourly basis.

At Rapid Repair Experts, we’re here to help with any and all issues related to your programmable thermostat and HVAC system. Here are a few basic rules of thumb when it comes to properly using a programmable thermostat.

Long Set Periods

In general, look to set your energy points for long periods of time – at least eight hours at once. For most people, this involves setting the thermostat to a given temperature (usually a lower one during winter and a higher one during summer) while they’re gone for roughly eight hours at work, then setting a different temperature during expected home hours. This can obviously vary based on your schedule.

Temporary Overrides and Hold Features

Programmable thermostats include the option to temporarily warm or cool a given area without interrupting the programming you’ve done previously. There are two types of hold features here: Temporary and permanent/vacation.

Temporary holds: For a brief period of time when you want to warm or cool the home outside pre-programmed settings.

Permanent/vacation holds: For when you’re planning to be a way for a longer period of time – should not be used to manage daily changes.

Cooling Speed

Some assume that jacking the thermostat up or down to reach a desired temperature faster is a good move, but in reality it won’t have an effect. Thermostats heat or cool at a set time – only a format called an adaptable recovery unit can calculate the time it takes to heat or cool the house and adhere to that schedule.

Thermostat Zones

Most homes use a single thermostat to control the entire house. If you have multiple heating or cooling zones, however, you’ll need a programmed setback thermostat for each zone.

Batteries

Finally, be sure to change your batteries each year if you have a model that uses them. Many modern units will give you a warning when your batteries need changing.